Kipchoge: 'My two marathon records will be remembered forever'

Kenya legend Eliud Kipchoge says his two world marathon records have inspired other athletes to do the same, including compatriot Kelvin Kiptum.

Kipchoge first set the record at the 2018 Berlin Marathon with a time of 2 hours 1 minute 39 seconds. Four years later, at the same race, he achieved a new milestone of 2 hours 1 minute 9 seconds. But at the 2023 Chicago Marathon, Kelvin Kiptum won with a time of 2 hours 0 minutes 35 seconds, 34 seconds faster than his compatriot's old milestone.

At an event on December 21, when asked about losing the world record to Kiptum, Kipchoge replied: "What I did will be there forever. It was motivation and I want people to break world records. Elite sport is about athletes breaking records and that is the beauty of sport. I am the happiest man because I broke the world marathon record twice. That will forever be in the history books and can never be erased."

Kipchoge after finishing with a world record of 2 hours 1 minute 9 seconds at the Berlin Marathon 2022. Photo: Reuters — Kipchoge after finishing with a world record of 2 hours 1 minute 9 seconds at the Berlin Marathon 2022. Photo: *Reuters*

Kipchoge became the first athlete to run a sub-2 marathon when he clocked 1 hour 59 minutes 40 seconds in the Ineos 1:59 event in Vienna, Austria in October 2019. However, that achievement was not recognized by World Athletics because the runner born in 1984 competed in controlled conditions, such as no opponents and a rotating team of pacers.

Kipchoge sees his achievement as changing the course of sporting history, in the same way that the late British track and field legend Roger Bannister became the first person to run a mile under four minutes, clocking 3 minutes 59.04 seconds in 1954. At the time, breaking the four-minute mile mark was no different than running a sub-2 marathon, which the world was pursuing. "I showed people the way, so that they dared to try, dared to think, and dared to do," Kipchoge added.

INEOS 1:59 Challenge — Kipchoge conquered the sub2 marathon at the Ineos 1:59 event on October 12, 2019 in Vienna, Austria.

Kipchoge also reaffirmed his goal of becoming the first athlete to win three marathon gold medals in three consecutive Olympics at Paris 2024. The Kenyan runner won the 2016 Rio Olympics in 2 hours 8 minutes 44 seconds and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2 hours 8 minutes 38 seconds. He is the third runner to win the men's marathon at two consecutive Olympics, after Ethiopian Abebe Bikila (1960 and 1964) and East German Waldemar Cierpinski (1976 and 1980).

"Winning three consecutive Olympic marathons would be good for me, good for the world and good for the next generation," Kipchoge said. "I'm ready to accept whatever happens in Paris because this is sport, but I'm determined to be the first person to win three consecutive Olympic marathon gold medals. That would be great for the world."

At the same event, Kipchoge confirmed that he will compete in the 2024 Tokyo Marathon on March 3, 2024. The 39-year-old runner said that he had carefully considered and decided to choose Tokyo because the 23-week break is ideal for training his mind and muscles for the Paris Olympics. He said that he has started training, and emphasized that he is not thinking about Paris but is focusing on Tokyo. "I don't want to conflict with my mind. My mind is on Tokyo. You can't chase two rabbits at the same time," Kipchoge said.

Tokyo 2024 will be Kipchoge's 22nd marathon, with 18 wins, including 11 majors. He won Tokyo 2021, setting a race record of 2 hours 2 minutes 40 seconds. Tokyo is also one of four majors Kipchoge has won, along with four in London (2015, 2016, 2018, 2019), four in Berlin (2015, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023) and one in Chicago (2014). He has only failed to win Boston and New York, which have steeper routes.

Hong Duy

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